About Paul

Paul Mann is a partner in our Corporate team and is the EMEA head of our Private Equity team.

Paul’s expertise covers all types of corporate work, in particular private equity and mainstream mergers and acquisitions (both locally and internationally). On the corporate side, Paul’s clients range from owner-managers to PLCs, and, on the private equity side, Paul covers all aspects of such transactions, ranging from advising management teams and/or the shareholders to advising the private equity house and/or the company.

Paul is consistently ranked top three in the UK by Mergermarket for the number of private equity and corporate transactions led by any UK legal adviser.

Paul’s particular style is “client first” in all aspects, and he displays huge commitment and drive to deliver for his clients. Clients told Chambers UK that Paul “is amazingly client-focused. He manages our expectations very carefully and is an excellent project manager.”

Paul is ranked as Top MidCap Lawyer in the UK, Mergerlinks, 2025 and 4th in EMEA.

Experience

  • Acting for the shareholders and management team of Callcredit Information Group Limited on the management buyout by Vitruvian Partners, on the secondary management buyout backed by GTCR and on the disposal to TransUnion, as well as numerous corporate acquisitions and disposals over the last few years, including the sale of Noddle to Credit Karma.

  • Acting for the shareholders and management team of Team17 Digital on the management buyout backed by LDC and acting for Team17 on its subsequent AIM IPO.

  • Acting for the shareholders and management team of Ipsum Group on the management buyout backed by IK Partners and working with Ipsum on a number of strategic acquisitions.

  • Acting for Growth Capital Partners on the management buyout of Cooke Optics Limited and acting for the shareholders of Cooke Optics Group Limited on the subsequent disposal to Caledonia Investments.

  • Acting for the shareholders and management team of Ligentia on the management buyout backed by Equistone Capital Partners, the subsequent merger with VGL and the sale to Asyad Group.

  • Acting for the shareholders and management team of Progeny on the management buyout backed by Further Global and subsequently working with Progeny on a number of strategic acquisitions.

  • Acting for the shareholders and management team of Outright Games on the management buyout backed by EMK Capital.

  • Acting for the shareholders and management team of Smartsearch on the management buyout backed by Marlin Equity Partners and the subsequent management buyout led by Triple Private Equity

  • Acting for the shareholders and management team of Global Autocare on the management buyout backed by LDC.

  • Acting for Growth Capital Partners on the management buyouts of DMW Group and Robiquity.

  • Acting for Business Growth Fund on the management buyouts of Bloom Procurement Services, ARC Inspirations and Tribepad.

  • Acting for the management team of de Poel on the management buyout backed by Tosca and Santander and advising the management team on the subsequent disposal to Geometric Results Inc.

  • Acting for the shareholders and management team of Hippo Digital on the management buyout backed by Growth Capital Partners and the subsequent acquisition of DataShed, as well as the subsequent sale to Exponent.

  • Acting for Principle Global Limited on the board and shareholding restructure supported by Pricoa and the subsequent acquisition of Underline S.p.A.

  • Acting for the management team of Eve Trakway Limited on the primary and secondary management buyouts and acting for the shareholders on the subsequent disposal of the company to Ashtead Group PLC.

  • Acting for H2 Equity Partners on the management buyout of GBUK Group Limited and the subsequent disposal of GBUK to A&M Capital.

  • Acting H2 Equity Partners on the management buyout of RAM Tracking and acting for the shareholders of Mach2 Solutions Limited, including RAM Investment Holdings Limited, on the sale from a co-investment vehicle including Goldman Sachs and H2 Equity Partners, to Kerridge Commercial Systems Limited.

  • Acting for H2 Equity Partners on the acquisition of William Blythe Limited from the publicly traded Synthomer group.

  • Acting for H2 Equity partners on the management buyout of Global Vans and the subsequent acquisition of the parent group, Global Vehicle Group Limited, by Palladian Investment Partners providing an exit for H2 Equity Partners.

  • Acting for TPA Capital on the management buyouts of BIS Henderson and Barwick Bathrooms.

  • Acting for the management team of Adler & Allan Limited on numerous acquisitions including of RES Environmental, Vertase F.L.I. Limited and Glanville Environmental, as well as the acquisitions of Thistle Environmental Limited and Ecosupport Limited, by Acqua Consultants.

  • Acting for the management of UniHomes on the sale from LDC and management to Macquarie Group.

  • Acting for Growth Capital Partners on the acquisition of Nurtur Group Ltd.

  • Acting for BB7 Holdings Limited on the sale to CERTANIA Group, marking an exit for BGF.

  • Acting for the shareholders of Brigantia Partners Ltd on the sale to Elovade Beteiligungs GmbH (backed by private equity firms HQ Equita and Verdane) and the subsequent acquisition of software distributor Zen Software Limited.

Credentials

Education
  • Nottingham Law School, L.P.C.
  • University of Leicester, LL.B.
Admissions
  • England and Wales, 2005

Recognitions

  • Emerging Dealmaker of the Year twice at Insider’s Yorkshire Dealmakers Awards, most recently in 2015

  • Yorkshire Dealmaker of the Year for 2020, at Insider’s Yorkshire Dealmakers Awards 2020 and shortlisted on four further occasions

  • Recommended in Chambers UK 2023 for Corporate/M&A – Mid-Market & Private Equity

  • Recommended in Legal 500 UK 2023 for M&A – mid-market, £50 million-£250 million; Corporate and commercial

  • Lawyer Hot 100 2022

  • Private Equity team named Team of the Year (Transactions) at the Unquote Private Equity Awards 2022

  • Ranked Band 1 in Chambers UK 2026 for Corporate/M&A: £25 million and above – Yorkshire

  • Rainmaker of the Year at TheBusinessDesk.com’s Yorkshire Rainmaker Awards 2025

  • Leeds Corporate team consistently recognised as Corporate Law Firm of the Year at the Yorkshire Dealmakers Awards

  • Private Equity team consistently recognised as Law Firm of the Year (Transactions) at the Unquote Private Equity Awards